Lamp fixtures



S p 28, 1965 T. ODWAZNY 3,208,774

LAMP FIXTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16, 1962 INVENTOR THADDEUS ODWAZNY ATTORNEYS T. ODWAZNY Sept. 28, 1965 LAMP FIXTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1962 INVENTOR THADDEUS ODWAZNY 5: &

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,208,774 LAMP FIXTURES Thaddeus Odwazny, Milwaukee, Wis., assiguor to Adjustable Fixture Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed July 16, 1962, Ser. No.,210,169 1 Claim. (Cl. 285*158) This invention appertains to lamp fixtures and more particularly to a novel friction joint to permit any desired adjustment of a lamp bulb and its shade or reflector to be had without the necessity of employing manually operable bolts, nuts and the like.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a friction joint for lamps embodying right-angularly disposed pivots whereby to produce, in effect, a universal movement, so that the reflector or shade with the bulb can be swung up and down to various angles and around in an arc of a circle.

Another salient object of the invention is to provide a compact and durable friction joint which receives, protects and encloses the electric cord for the lamp, with the parts so arranged and designed as to facilitate the wiring of the lamp and without undue wear on the cord.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a universal joint connection for lamps and fixtures embodying a pair of companion body sections rotatably connected together by a pivot bolt and having positioned therebetween in a novel manner a resilient friction washer and a wear 'ring functioning to hold the body sections in a desired adjusted position against accidental movement with one of the sections having a hollow coupling receiving the supporting tube arm of the lamp and the other section having a sleeve for rotatable connection with the attaching fixture or plate with friction means for rigid connection with the reflector or shade,

Another further important object of the invention is the provision of novel means for forming the companion body sections for receiving and holding the connecting pivot bolt and for centering the sections relative to one another and in such a manner as to provide an interior chamber having communication with the coupling and sleeve to effectively receive the electric wire or cord for the lamp. 7

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a lamp provided with the novel universal joint, parts of the figure being shown broken away and in section;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view through the universal joint itself, the section being taken on the line 22 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; 7

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the universal joint taken at right angles to FIG. 2 and on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the joint taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating more particularly the mounting plate;

FIG. 6 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the connecting passage between the coupling and the chamber in the joint;

FIG. 7 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the 3,208,774 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 "ice arrows and illustrating more particularly the connecting passageway between the chamber and the sleeve, and

FIG. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIG. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the connection of the pivot bolt with one body section of the joint.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the Several views, the letter I generally indicates my novel universal joint and L a lamp with which the joint can be associated. I

Only a fragment of the lamp has been shown to illustrate the use of the joint and the lamp L includes a holloW arm or tube 10 leading from any suitable support. The tube or arm 10 is connected with the joint I and the joint I in turn is connected with the shade or reflector 11 of the lamp. The shade or reflector 11 in turn carries a lamp socket 12 by means, which will be later set forth.

As shown, the shade or reflector 11 is of a generally tapered circular shape and one side of the wall of the shade is depressed and struck slightly inward, as at 13, into which depression is fitted a part of the joint J.

The universal joint J includes two companion sections 14 and 15, and for the purpose of identification the section 14 can be considered as the male section and the section 15 as the female section.

The section 14 includes a main circular body portion 16 having an interior hollow chamber 17, defining an annular side wall 18 and a flatend wall 19. The inner face of the annular side wall 18 is provided with an annular groove 20. The inner wall of the groove 20 is extended to provide an annular centering and bearing rim 21. The axial center of the outer wall 19 is provided with a bearing opening 22 for receiving a pivot bolt 23 and the outer face of the wall 19 is recessed, as at 24, to receive the head 25 of the bolt. Extending laterally from one side of the body 16 is an internally threaded coupling sleeve 26 and it is to be noted that the sleeve is laterally offset from the body 16. The body is provided with a passageway 27 which connects the chamber 17 With the interior of the coupling sleeve 26. The annular bearing and centering rim 21 at one side is provided with a notch 28, the purpose of which will later appear.

The companion female section 15 also includes an interior hollow chamber 29 which defines an outer annular wall 30 and an end wall 31. Formed on the inner face of the end wall 31 at its axial center is a hub 32 and this hub is spaced from the inner face of the annular outer wall 30. The hub 32 is provided at its axial center with a polygonal opening 33 for receiving a part of the pivot bolt 23, as will be later set forth. Projecting radially from one side of the outer wall 30 is a sleeve 34 and this sleeve is laterally offset inwardly, as best shown in FIG- URE 3, to correspond with the laterally offset coupling sleeve 26. A passageway 35 establishes communication with the interior of the sleeve 34 and the chamber 29. The inner face of the section 15 provides a bearing surface around the chamber 29 and this surface faces the annular groove 20.

Mounted within the groove 20 is a resilient friction washer 36. This washer is of the wavy or radially corrugated type. Also fitted within the groove is a hardened wear washer or ring 37, and when the sections 14 and 15 are united by the bolt 23, the resilient washer under tension urges the wear ring or washer 37 in frictional contact with the bearing surface of the section 15. The bearing washer or ring 37 is provided with a tongue 38 fitted in the notch 28 so that the washer will turn with the male section 14. With the sections 14 and 15 united by the bolt the annular rim 21 rotatably fits within the hold the mounting plate in position. also employed for rigidly holding the interior L-shaped or section 15 and bears against the inner surface of the outer annularnwall 30. ,This centers the sections and forms a bearing face for permitting rotation of the sections 14 and 15 relative to one another.

Particular attention is now called to the bolt 23, and as previously set forth, the same includes a head 25, which is disposed at one end of the shank 39. The end of the shank 39 from the head 25 is squared to snugly fit within the polygonal opening 33 of the hub 32 so that the bolt will turn with the section 15. It is to be noted that the squared end of the bolt is larger than its round shank, and hence the opening 22 is of a size and shape to permit the passage of the square end therethrough.

The round portion of the shank, however, freely turns in this opening. The shank 39 is internally threaded and .receives a tightening screw 40, the head of which is countersunk in the end wall 31 of the section 15. By tightening the screw 40 the sections 14 and 15 can be brought together to place the washer 36 under a desired tension, and sufficient tension to frictionally unite the sections and hold them against accidental turning movement. The structure just set forth forms one pivot for the universal joint. The other pivot will now be described.

The second pivot includes the sleeve 34 of section 15 and formed around the sleeve is a collar 41. The collar 41 constitutes a stop shoulder, as will later appear, and the outer face of this shoulder is provided with a stop lug 43, the purpose of which will later appear.

To unite the joint with the shade 11, a mounting plate 44 is provided. The mounting plate includes an attaching wall 45 and an outwardly bulged annular cup 46. The cup 46 rotatably receives the sleeve 34 and is fitted against the stop shoulder or collar 41. Also fitted on the sleeve 34 is a resilient friction washer 47 of the same type and character as the washer 36. The resilient friction washer is held under tension against the inner face of the cup portion 46 of the mounting plate 44 by a washer or holding ring 48 which is pressed on the sleeve. After the placing of the holding washer or ring 48 in position, the outer end of the sleeve is flanged over, as at 49 and the resilient friction washer is permanently held under tension so as to frictionally hold the sleeve against accidental rotation. It can be seen, however, that the sleeve can be forcibly rotated within the mounting plate against the l tenison of the washer to attain a desired adjustment. In

associating the universal joint I with the lamp shade 11 the wall 45 of the mounting plate is fitted in the depressed portion 13 of the shade and screws 50 are employed to bracket 51 in the shade and this bracket in turn supports the lamp socket 12.

By referring to FIGURE 3, it can be seen that the in- These screws are terior chambers 17 and 29 form an ample space for re- 'ceiving the electric cord or wire, and that the cord can readily pass through the coupling 26, the passageways 27 and 35 and chambers 17 and 29. The shade itself is pro- "vided with an opening 52 which is in alignment with the sleeve 34 and an eyelet or smooth opening in the L- shaped bracket 51,

Hence, the lamp is easy to wire and wear on the wire is reduced to a minimum.

To limit the rotation of the sleeve on the mounting plate so as to prevent twisting of the wire the cup portion 46 of the mounting plate has struck out therefrom a lug or tit 52 which rides freely in the groove 42 formed in the collar 41. The stop 43 in the groove 42 acts as an abutment for the lug or tit 52 and hence complete rotation of the sleeve in the mounting plate is prevented.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided an exceptionally simple, but durable form of friction joint for a lamp and that the joint is of an exceptionally compact order.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

A friction joint for lamp fixtures and the like comprising a pair of companion members, each of said members including a circular body portion and a laterally offset sleeve, each of said body members being provided with an interior'chamber having communication with the sleeves to permit the threading of an electric wire through the sleeves and the body members, one of said body members having an annular groove in its inner face around said chamber and facing the body portion of the other member, a resilient friction washer fitted in said groove, a wear ring fitted in said groove against said resilient friction washer and against the inner face of the adjacent member, a pivot bolt extending axially through the body portions of said members for tightening said body members and placing the resilient friction washer under tension, means for anchoring the bolt to one member for rotation therewith, means for anchoring the wear ring to the member for rotation therewith, one of said sleeves constituting a coupling for connection with a hollow supporting arm and the other of said sleeves constituting a pivot, a supporting and attaching plate rotatably receiving the sleeve with the attaching plate abutting the end of the body member carrying said last sleeve, a second resilient friction washer fitting on said last sleeve and against the inner surface of the plate, a holding and bearing washer fitted on said last sleeve and against the said second resilient friction washer, and the inner end of said sleeve being upset against the holding and bearing washer to maintain the second resilient friction washer and bearing washer in place on the sleeve with the second resilient friction washer under tension.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,024,930 12/35 Judell 285-163 2,362,100 11/44 Schwartz.

2,458,967 1/49 Wiedenhoeft. 2,650,845 9/53 Dalley 287-101 2,665,870 1/54 De Wiess. 2,694,585 11/54 Fiori.

2,709,097 5/55 Leary. 2,825,586 3/58 Robboy.

CARL W, TOMLIN, Primary Examiner, 

